Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-10
A SINGING GHOST.
Stery of a Strange People Who Live in the
Mountains of West Virginia.

There is a Wild country in the rear of
Cannelton mountain, in the western
part of Kanawa county, writes a
Charleston, w. Va, correspondent of
the Cincinnati Enquirer. Strange peo-
pie, many OF whom are nomadic in
habit, strange customs and strange
habitations may be found for the look
ing. Here the 'sing-d ggers" or cave
dwellers. thrive IN wild luxuriance; here
the brotherhood of Prayer and Church
of God serts. whose curious rites of
humility and penance recall the history
of druidical worship. On the southern
slope of the mountain about five miles
beyond tine settlement '-as these
primitive-mannerei people still call the
villages-Edom Smith, Free WIN Bap-
tlst, pitched his tent ten years ago His
claims or preiermcnt were speedily re-
cognized and following obtained.
The more misty his eloquence the greater
honors were heaped upon him. A rude
nut was his dwelling-place, in dense
wood, never touched by sunshine, and
hard by a little stream, spring fed, and
a twinkling waterfall. Here the owls
hooted grewsomely in the nighttime
Deacon Smith was pale. cadaverous,
and solemn. His wife was of the gypsy
type-dark. of stormy mien, alert and
active. That she ruled the deacon with
no gentle rod no one had reason to
doubt. She held herself aloof from ''his
people," though taking part in the Sat
urday night services. He never preach
ed save at night, and then only in the
light of the moon. For this he gave
reasons founded on bible teaching and
satisfactory to the flock.
The dark woman was held in venera-
ton by the ''sing-diggers. for she sang
as none other could, and gave them
healing potions and charms against the
power of the evil one Once it is said
that when Edom Smith spoke of death
and the grave in his discourse she
shrieked aloud and rebuked her hus-
band with angry words. 1t was known
that her terror of death amounted to
madness, and she had extorted an oath
from him never to consign her body to
the ground, but to inclose it in an oaken
box, to be deposited on a specified stump
near the house. For want of sunlight
she fell i'll of rheumatism in one autumn,
and died when the leaves, were coming
out again in the tanglc of vines on the
tent. Edom Smith remembered his
VOW, and respected it. Within sight of
the bride path that led to the highway
a few miles beyond, on the stump that
Olga had selected, the rude oak box
containing her body was placed The
people besought him to bury the re-
mains. but he said he burst not break
his word, for she had promised to haunt
him for this, and always kept her word.
Then they made n new path to the river
that they might avoid the awful specta-
Gle of that discolored box, where the
figure in white came every twilight and
wandered to the waterfall. This weird
vision was common sight, it was said,
and they persistenty prayed the deacon
to put the coffin under ground, where
the dead belong. Elfish screams were
heard in the midnight hour, it was told,
and wild songs, such rs Olga used to
sing as she sat by the cabin door.
All knew that strong, strangely sweet
voice, and shuddered when they heard
its echoes among the trees. But no one
complained to the authorities of the
horror, and the box remained through
that summer and one winter undisturb-
ed. 1t finally disappeared. no one knew
why, and were afraid to ask concerning
it. But the mystery was explained when
he brought bride to the hut. She had
steadily refused to share his lot until the
former wife was put away.
But the songs went on as of old, and
the awful cries in The cleaning, till they
called it the haunted glen, through
which belated travellers hurried to the
nearest habitatlon. 1t was found that
Edom Smith had carried the box to
cavern, almost ut the mountain top, on
the other side. How he succeeded in
reaching the place without assistance
was more than anyone could under
stand, but no one questioned about the
awful matter. There, on ledge or
rock IN the cave may yet be seen the
baker box, over which the moses grow,
and the ancient ferns, and where the
dolesome night-hawks scream mourn
full threnody. The rattlesnakes hiss
about the place, and fantastic vine
Grapes the mouth of the tomb with scar
let blossoms. The tale is told that
Deacon Smith had never peace in the
hut with his new wife, for the ghostly
songs of the restless Olga, and that his
bible had bloody finger-marks through
out So they left the place one night,
going no one knew whittier. leaving
everything as though they would return,
but they never did, none hearing from
them or the cause of their hegira. Per-
haps they were murdered, say the 'tsong
people" Who can tell? But the furnl-
ture disappeared from the hut months
later, and then a fire destroyed the
house-by what means no man could
say. They still say the songs may yet